EMPLOYERS across the UK are increasingly adopting flexible working practices, with 40 per cent of organisations extending the right to request flexible working beyond the legislative requirement
EMPLOYERS across the UK are increasingly adopting flexible working practices, with 40 per cent of organisations extending the right to request flexible working beyond the legislative requirement.
A survey by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) found that 84 per cent of employers believe flexible working practices have a positive effect on retention, while more than half feel that recruitment has benefited from the implementation of flexible working practices and 70 per cent believe flexible working has a positive impact on motivation.
“Flexible working practices can be advantageous to both organisations and employees,” said Rebecca Clake, CIPD organisation and resourcing adviser.
“They give people more control over when and where they work and this appears to mean more focused and motivated employees. The introduction of flexible working allows employees to gain more control over their work/life balance and can act as an important tool in the organisation’s recruitment and retention process.”
She said such working arrangements could also help attract underused groups, such as parents and students, allowing organisations to compete in the war for talent.
However, Clake said an issue for employers was how to implement and operate flexible working in practice, to create a positive and supportive culture and to deliver the potential benefits they offer.
Operational pressures were the most significant constraint for organisations when implementing flexible working practices (77 per cent), followed by concerns over customer service requirements suggesting there are concerns about the potential negative impact flexible working may have on business delivery.
However, 45 per cent of employers who offer flexible working report a positive impact on productivity suggesting this may be a fear in the minds of managers, rather than one that is actually present.
A significant number of employers (45 per cent) also highlighted that line managers report difficulties implementing flexible working practices. Major constraints included a line manager’s ability to manage individuals working more flexibly and the attitudes they have to flexible working practices.
“Organisations need to do more to get their line manager’s buy-in. They need to set a clear criteria against which flexible working requests are assessed,”Clake said.
